I can tell you that it is impossible to move around here without
encountering ruddy ducks hiding behind trees waiting to club our local red
squirrels on the head. Believe me I've had a few near misses.

Seriously though, I cannot believe that there is any doubt about the grey
squirrel causing the decline in red squirrel numbers. Red squirrels used to
be common throughout the UK in broad leaved and conifer woods but now are
confined to the extremities of the UK. Grey squirrels occur elsewhere. The
areas do not interlap. No disease or other cause is known which could have
depleted the numbers of red squirrels which are doing extremely well in all
woodland environments on the European continent. Grey squirrels are
extremely territorial and aggressive and I have myself seen how they react
to red squirrels. How do the "experts" explain the seemingly inexplicable
decline (only in the UK where grey squirrels exist) of the red squirrel if
not due to grey squirrel expansion coincidently into the habitats the red
squirrels have lost out of?

I know it would be difficult to eradicate the grey squirrel (but not
impossible) when (with tongue in cheek) the effect of these aggressive
interlopers is much more pronounced on the UK habitats than the ruddy duck
could ever be. I.e., I am suggesting that the current campaign against the
ruddy duck is not motivated by any rational demand from within the UK or
driven by UK environmental concerns.

Regards
Don

BAC wrote in message
...

"Don" wrote in message
...
You mean grey squirrels? Surely they are next on the government's
culling
list. After all, like the ruddy duck, the bloody grey squirrel is
depleting
the native population of red squirrels to extinction.

(1) The Ruddy Duck is having no visible or noticeable effect on any UK
native population of anything, let alone red squirrels.
(2) The experts are no longer so sure that the presence of grey
squirrels
was responsible for the decline in red squirrels, either.
(3) It would be very difficult to eradicate all the grey squirrels in
the
UK, so the Govt. is unlikely to make their eradication a target.


They make a good pie apparently.


They know how to cook? blimey!